At CMS, we believe that at the core of our organization are the employees that carry out the Agency’s vision: Advancing health equity, expanding coverage, and improving health outcomes. 

How we define Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 

• Diversity: The characteristics and experiences, both seen and unseen, that make everyone unique.
• Equity: Ensuring fair access to opportunities and resources, while taking into consideration individual’s barriers or privileges and eliminating systemic barriers and privileges.
• Inclusion: The actions taken to understand, embrace, and leverage the unique identities and perspectives of all individuals so that all feel welcomed, valued, and supported.

At CMS, we truly understand and support the value of diversity in improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness.    We continually strive to promote a climate of innovation, opportunity, and success that capitalizes on the cultural, professional, and personal diversity of our workforce.

Employee Resource Groups:

CMS Employee Resource Groups (ERG) are voluntary, employee-led groups that serve as a resource for CMS employees by fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with organizational mission, values, goals, business practices, and objectives. ERGs form around common backgrounds, interests and/or goals. 

We have the following ERGs available to all employees:

• African American ERG (AAERG): The AAERG works to identify and eliminate barriers to equal employment opportunity for the African American population at CMS. In doing so, the AAERG works to  promote  a  diverse  and  inclusive  work  environment.  Email: AAERG@cms.hhs.gov
• American Indian/Alaska Native ERG (AI/AN ERG): The AI/AN ERG works to assess barriers to equal opportunity for American Indians & Alaska Natives. The AI/AN ERG also seeks to increase opportunities for outreach, education, and development regarding these communities.  Email: AIANERG@cms.hhs.gov
• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander ERG (AANHPI ERG): The AANHPI ERG works to promote the recruitment, promotion, and retention of highly talented Asian American and Pacific Islanders at CMS. The AANHPI ERG also focuses on outreach to, and increasing developmental opportunities for, members of the AANHPI community within CMS.  Email: AANHPIERG@cms​.hhs.gov
• Disability ERG (DERG): The DERG provides a forum through which Agency employees may provide input and recommendations toward developing and influencing disability-related policies and practices affecting the recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention of individuals with disabilities, including Veterans. The DERG provides the Agency with information about existing barriers to equal opportunity and full access and makes recommendations about ways to overcome those barriers. In addition, the DERG conducts activities to educate employees regarding the special interests, needs, and accomplishments of individuals with disabilities in order to raise awareness and generate positive perceptions of disability and promote diversity in the workplace.  Email: DERG@cms.hhs.gov
• Federal Women’s Group (FWG): The FWG seeks to provide a forum for CMS employees to plan and conduct activities that educate the workforce regarding the special interests, needs, and accomplishments of women in order to promote development and leadership skills. The FWG strives to enhance the awareness of women’s issues and promote cultural diversity within CMS, thus increasing the recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention of women in the CMS workforce and eliminating barriers to equal employment.  Email: FederalWomensGroup@cms.hhs.gov
• CMS Latin American ERG: Better known as Comunidades, this ERG emphasizes the development of successful strategies to enhance the recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention of highly qualified Hispanic professionals at CMS to assist the Agency in better reflecting society. Comunidades works to accomplish this mission by identifying and engaging CMS employees of Hispanic heritage to promote community engagement, broad collaboration, and increase understanding of meaningful outreach. Comunidades also collaborates with other entities within CMS and HHS to garner support and develop programs. Email: comunidades@cms.hhs.gov
• CMS Pride: The CMS lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) ERG, better known as CMS PRIDE, stands for “People respecting individuality, inclusiveness, diversity, and equality for the LGBTI workforce.” Pride is a visible, personal, and professional resource to the LGBTI workforce, allies, and the broader CMS community. CMS PRIDE helps the Agency eliminate discrimination, while fostering diversity, inclusiveness, and a supportive, respectful, and rewarding work. Email: Pride@cms.hhs.gov
• Veterans Assistance Committee (VAC): The VAC is an employee resource group focused on issues of particular interest to Veterans at CMS. The goal of the VAC is to provide the Agency with input on those issues, so that Veterans may directly influence policies, procedures, and programs impacting them. The VAC also works to increase the recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention of Veterans within CMS.  Email:  VAC@cms.hhs.gov 

Federal Policy and Resources:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan (PDF) - CMS' Strategic Plan outlines the specific goals and initiatives we believe will help us achieve our DEI vision and address key priority areas identified within a 2021 current state assessment and the 2019 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).
• Executive Order 13583 - Establishing a Coordinated Government-Wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce
• Executive Order 13985 - Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
• Executive Order 14035 - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the Federal Workforce